The Original Baba Yaga

The title of baba yaga was initially what the three pirate sisters were called that were considered the most powerful before the Maritime Stratocracy of Guantil-ya drove them all nearly into extinction. One sister lived in a secluded hut on Jamphel Yeshe, where she ruled a vast drug empire, the second commanded a strong pirate fleet of 4 ships, and the third was a sea witch, powerful and feared by any that dared to oppose the three. Today the old pirate houses have somewhat recovered from the pirate hunts of Guantil-ya, and the biennially selected baba yaga gets a double vote on pirate moots, as well as very loose grand-admiral-ish powers.

The Origin of the Baba Yaga

The year is 567 AID. One of the three sisters that together became the first Baba Yaga of all pirates, Mastreyja the Sea Witch, is chased by the Keeper of Water Rubina Dunhaine to the shores of Jamphel Yeshe. To the surprise of both, not only the magic of Mastreyja fails her but all water also ceases to heed Rubina's command. Dumbstruck, Rubina freezes, not comprehending the situation, but Mastreyja, a ruthless master of pirates and lowlifes, seizes the opportunity to stab Rubina, killing the Keeper of Water.
It is said, though only Mastreyja's account speaks of this, that in that moment the sky tore open and great gears and revolving pillars revealed themselves to the witch, and the great hand of the Clockwork itself reached out to Jamphel Yeshe to drag the soul of Rubina back into the light, for none could be reborn that died on Jamphel Yeshe, but the cycle of Keepers must never be broken.

— From "The Mired History of Jamphel Yeshe"

There is the great biennial pirate race on the Corsic Ocean that dates back to the height of the great pirate houses, when the title baba yaga still meant something and had serious clout on the Ocean Belt. The race used to be the competition that determined the new wielder of the title, and though it still does, little weight is attached to it nowadays, and attendance is usually limited to three or four ships that barely hold a fleet between them.